With reference to FIG. 6, the configuration of a tablet dispensing apparatus, which is a typical example conventional medicine dispensing apparatus, is described below. FIG. 6(a) is a perspective view showing an appearance of a conventional tablet dispensing apparatus 10 as viewed from left front. FIG. 6(b) schematically illustrates an internal structure of the tablet dispensing apparatus 10. FIG. 6(c) is a perspective view showing an appearance of the conventional tablet dispensing apparatus 10 as viewed from left front. FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view showing another example of a conventional tablet dispensing apparatus 20 which is equipped with a manual medicine dispensing device (21,22).
The tablet dispensing apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c) is not equipped with a manual medicine dispensing device. This kind of tablet dispensing apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-192702 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-109860 (Patent Document 2). The tablet dispensing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 7 has incorporated a manual medicine dispensing device (21,22) thereinto. This kind of tablet dispensing apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-209600 (Patent Document 3).
The tablet dispensing apparatus 10 which is not equipped with a manual medicine dispensing device includes a plurality of medicine feeders 13, a medicine collecting assembly (14,15), a packing device 17, and a controller (control device) 18. Various sorts of medicines 1 such as pills, tablets, and capsules are contained in the medicine feeders 13 by category. The medicine collecting assembly (14,15) collects the medicines 1 ejected from the medicine feeders 13. The packing device 17 packs the medicines 1 received from the medicine collecting assembly (14,15). The controller (control device) 18, which is typically equipped with a microprocessor, outputs a control command to the medicine feeders 13 and the packing device 17. Specifically, the controller 18 gives an appropriate medicine feeder 13 a control command which causes the medicine feeder 13 containing the medicines 1 indicated in prescription or pharmaceutical instruction data to eject the required number of the medicines 1. The medicines 1 ejected from the medicine feeder 13 are collected by the medicine collecting assembly (14,15) and forwarded to a medicine entry port (an entry port for the collected medicines) 16 located downward. The controller 18 gives the packing device 17 a control command which causes the packing device 17 to pack the medicines forwarded to the medicine entry port 16 in units of dose or application. The packing device 17 fills the medicines divided per dose or application into a pocket formed between two packing paper sheets (dispensing paper) 2 and then tightly seals an opening portion of the pocket.
More specifically, the tablet dispensing apparatus 10 has a housing 10A. A medicine storage 11 is disposed in an upper space inside the housing 10A, and the packing device 17 is disposed in a lower space inside the housing 10A. The medicine collecting assembly includes medicine guide assemblies 14 and a medicine collecting assembly 15, and is disposed between the medicine storage 11 and the packing device 17 inside the housing 10A. The medicine storage 11 accommodates a plurality of medicine feeder storage units (medicine cabinets) which are individually slidable and juxtaposed or arranged side by side. Each medicine feeder storage unit 12 includes a medicine storage casing 12A and a plurality of detachable medicine feeders 13, typically several to several tens of medicine feeders 13, which are disposed vertically and horizontally inside the medicine storage casing 12A.
Each medicine feeder 13 includes a medicine cassette capable of containing and ejecting a number of medicines 1 and a base portion capable of detachably supporting the medicine cassette and performing drive operation to eject the medicines from the medicine cassette. The medicine feeder 13 is operable to eject the specified number of tablets 1 as instructed by the controller 18 and forward the ejected tablets to the medicine guide assembly 14.
A publicly known medicine guide assembly 14 includes a conduit pipe such as a duct vertically or longitudinally disposed and a plurality of extension pipes communicating with respective outlets of the medicine feeders. The medicine guide assembly 14 is provided for each medicine feeder storage unit 12, and can be drawn out from the housing 10A together with the corresponding medicine feeder storage unit 12. For simplified illustration, FIG. 6(b) illustrates the tablet dispensing apparatus as if a common medicine guide assembly 14 exists for two medicine feeder storage units 12, and FIG. 6(c) omits the illustration of the medicine guide assemblies 14.
Each medicine feeder storage unit 12 is configured to horizontally slide toward the front of the housing 10A. Thus, the medicine guide assembly 14 and the medicine feeders can be drawn out from the housing 10A together with the medicine feeder casing 12A.
The medicine collecting assembly 15 is formed of a relatively large hopper-like member or an infundibulum-like member. The medicine collecting assembly 15 is incorporated in a space below the medicine storage 11 of the housing 10A. It is located above the packing device 17 in that space. An upper opening of the medicine collecting assembly 15 is opened widely enough to face respective ends of all the medicine guide assemblies 14. A lower opening of the medicine collecting member 15 is narrowed down toward the medicine entry port 16. As a result, the medicines 1 guided by any of the medicine guide assemblies 14 are gathered toward the lower opening of the medicine collecting assembly 15 and then are forwarded to the packing device 17. Thus, the medicine collecting assembly 15 works as a common guide path to the packing device 17 for all the medicine guide assemblies 14.
Pharmaceutical indications based on a prescription of dosage and administration or the like are entered by using an operation panel 19 or an appropriate input device or prescription ordering system, not illustrated. The tablet dispensing apparatus 10 ejects medicines 1 from one or more medicine feeders 13 as indicated by commands from the controller 18 upon receipt of the entered pharmaceutical indications. The ejected medicines 1 drop into the medicine collecting assembly 15 via the medicine guide assemblies 14. Then, the medicines 1 are gathered and taken out of an exit port located downward, and are entered into the medicine entry port 16 of the packing device 17. Thus, the medicines 1 pass through such medicine collecting path and are separately packed per dose in two packing paper sheets 2 by the packing device. The packing device 17 feeds two sheets form the packing paper roll in a predetermined length, and thermally seals a part of the two packing paper sheets to form a medicine storage pocket. The packing device 17 places the medicines 1 into the medicine storage pocket and thermally seals an opening of the pocket to dispense the medicines per dose. In this manner, the medicines are automatically dispensed. Specifically, the medicines 1 are ejected from appropriate medicine feeders 13 and forwarded to the packing device 17 via the medicine collecting assembly (14, 15) individually one by one or collectively in a bulk.
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a configuration of a tablet dispensing apparatus 20 equipped with a manual medicine dispensing device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-209600 (Patent Document 3). The tablet dispensing apparatus 20 has incorporated the manual medicine dispensing device (21, 22) therein. The manual medicine dispensing device (21, 22) is, for example, constituted from a cassette preliminary dispenser 21 and a conveyor portion 22. The preliminary dispenser 21 has formed a number of partitions in length and width directions thereof or a number of partitions are formed crisscrossing the preliminary dispenser 21. The top or upper end of each partition is opened to receive medicines and the bottom or lower face thereof is formed of an openable shutter or the like to eject the medicines. The preliminary dispenser 21 is drawable from the housing of the tablet dispensing apparatus 20 for manual medicine dispensation to each partition. The preliminary dispenser is manually operated for medicine dispensation, but the conveyor portion 22 is operable to automatically eject the medicines. Specifically, the conveyor portion 22 is located below the manual dispenser 21 inside the housing of the tablet dispensing apparatus 20 when the manual dispenser 21 is pushed into the housing. The conveyor portion 22 receives the medicines ejected from the partition, and forwards the medicines for one partition to the packing device 17 via the medicine collecting assembly 15.
In conventional medicine dispensing apparatuses, it is sometimes required to remove and prevent contamination due to scattered or adhered medicines. Some of the conventional medicine dispensing apparatuses incorporate a dust collector or dust vacuum cleaner in a necessary location. Furnishing of such dust collector or dust vacuum cleaner is common to powder medicine dispensing apparatuses. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-148036 (Patent Document 4), some tablet dispensing apparatuses have a built-in tablet cutter.